Women’s Basketball Announces 2016-17 Team Awards
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech women's basketball program and Head Coach Kim Cameron announced the 2016-17 team award winners Monday night (April 24). Senior Morgan Anderson, who picked up numerous awards following the season, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.
Anderson, a native of De Pere, Wisconsin, was a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team honoree and a Conference Commissioners Association All-Midwest Region Second Team selection followed the conclusion of the season.
Anderson, a senior guard from De Pere, Wisconsin, powered the Michigan Tech offense with a 15.9 points per game scoring average. She ranked fifth in the GLIAC in scoring and was named the GLIAC North Division Player of the Week three times during the 2016-17 campaign. Anderson recorded 10 or more points in 24 games this season, including a career high 29 points at top ranked Ashland University on January 5th.
Anderson also surpassed 1,000 career points February 16th at Grand Valley State University, making her just the 23rd player in Michigan Tech women's basketball history to join the 1,000-point club. Anderson owns 1,077 career points and is tied for 21st on Tech's All-Time scoring list with D'Andra Poyfair-Walter (1985-89) who also posted 1,077 career points. In addition to her point totals, Anderson was second in the GLIAC in assists per game (4.3) and hauled down an average of 4.5 rebounds per contest.
Brenna Heise, a redshirt junior forward from New London, Wisconsin, was chosen for the Harold Meese Sportsmanship Award. Heise was second on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game and the top rebounder on the club at 5.1 boards per contest. She also averaged 1.3 steals and 1.5 assists per contest. Heise had two double-doubles this past year and scored 20 or more points three times, including a career high 24 points at Southern Indiana on November 27th. Heise dialed in 47.9 percent of her shots from the field and was an outstanding free throw shooter, converting 91.7 percent of her attempts at the charity stripe.
Heise was an All-GLIAC Second Team selection and the North Division Player of the Week in week five of the season. Heise recorded a career high 324 points this year and has amassed 684 career points.
Sophomore forward Elizabeth Kelliher was chosen as this year's Most Improved Player and Scholastic Achievement Award Winner. Kelliher, who hails from Waukesha, Wisconsin, averaged 10.0 points per game and set a new single season MTU record with 76 blocked shots. She recorded a season and career high nine blocked shots at Northwood on February 2nd. Kelliher also averaged 3.3 rebounds per contest with 3.9 boards per game coming on the defensive end of the floor. Kelliher currently carries a 3.92 GPA with a major in Psychology.
Freshman Baillie McGirk was named the Outstanding Newcomer of the Year for the Huskies. McGirk a guard from Rockford, Illinois, played in 25 games, posting a season high 14 points in an 80-46 win at Tiffin on January 7th. She grabbed 33 rebounds and dished out 18 assists during the 2016-17 season.
The Huskies closed the 2016-17 season with an overall record of 20-8 and 15-6 in the GLIAC, advancing to the GLIAC Final Four.